Noise excluding apparatus



Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My present invention isconcerned particularly with the problem of substantially excluding street noises from a room when the windows are partially open to permit ventilation. It is especially intended and peculiarly adapted for use in connection with windows of the sliding sash type.

An object of the invention is to provide a noise excluding apparatus capable of being so associated with an ordinary window that the normal exterior appearance of the window is preserved.

Another object is to so dispose the apparatus at the interior of the window that it may be conveniently and completely concealed by the use of a valance or other conventional type of drapery.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which may be quickly applied from the interior of a room as a noise excluding attachment for any conventional sliding sash type of window, and which, unlike many prior silencing devices, requires no parts to be specially water-proofed or otherwise expensively treated, since it is substantially protected from rain or snow except during storms of such severity as would necessitate the closing of the window.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus completely devoid of special vanes or complex lattice work or similar cumbersome clap-trap, the silencing ability of which are often more than offset by their owninherent tendency to rattle and vibrate and otherwise defeat their intended purpose.

Another object is to provide a noise excluding attachment simply constructed of inexpensive standard materials having recognized properties of ruggedness and durability, entirely devoid of any parts requiring adjustment or manipulation in use and inherently capable of lateral extension during installation, so that a standardized unit may accommodate itself to a large range of window sizes.

Another type is to avoid the complexity of prior types of silencers while utilizing to their fullest value, the combined sound excluding effects of the best sound absorbing principles, sound reflecting principles and recognized principles of the distinction of sound waves by the mechanically shattering and breaking up thereof.

Another object is to provide in combination with a window which when closed is highly sound proof, a sound excluding attachment or associated fixture which will maintain the desired quiet in the room even when the window is partially open for ventilating purposes. Neither the window construction nor the attachment interfere in any manner with the facile and conventional manipulation of the sashes for cleaning purposes.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a generally box-like structure having an open front and an open bottom, is secured to the window frame interiorly of the sash. This box is preferably formed of suitable sound absorbing material, such for instance, as plates or sheets of pressed fibre. Such material is commonly sold under various trade-marks, such for instance, as Acousti-Celotex, and its sound absorbing characteristics are well recognized. The material, when efliciently used, is capable of absorbing approximately of sound and of reflecting most of the sound which it does not absorb. The material is sufliciently thick to have its sound absorbing face provided with a plurality of relatively deep pockets or the like, molded therein during the formation of the material. These pockets which are arranged in close juxta-position, serve to trap and break up and shatter, and muilie a considerable portion of the sound.

In applying the box-like silencer structure, preferably the under face of the top of the window frame has a sheet of the sound absorbing material secured thereto. Sheets or plates are secured to the inner side faces of the frame and the box is completed by attaching an apron member of the same material to the forward edges of the side plates. This apron member lies substantially flush with the inner surface of the window opening and is preferably composed of a pair of sections of the material having the overlapping end portions of less than normal thickness, said portions being effective to permit variable overlapping of the apron sections whereby the latter may accommodate themselves to windows of varying sizes.

When the upper sash is lowered for ventilating purposes, the sound waves from the street impinging upon the box like silencer structure are in large measure absorbed, are to some extent reflected back out of the window and are to some extent shattered and broken and muflled by the entrapping pockets, with the result that the street noises are substantially excluded from the room.

I preferably employ a stripping material around the edges of the sash and between the sashes which may have a water proofing effect but which is primarily intended as a sound proofing medium. This stripping not only holds the sashes against vibration in the wind but prevents the admission of noise around the sashes.

In order to take care of the sound leak which lowered, I preferably provide a hinged silencing mullion strip secured to the top rail of the lower sash and intended to lie directly against the glass pane of the upper sash. This strip may be read- I ily moved aside to permit free reversal of relative position of the sashes for purposes of cleaning. V V The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective View taken from the interior of a room and showing a window of the sliding sash type' equipped with my improved silencing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken approximately onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective view showing a small piece of the sound absorbing. material which is used to form the box.

f In the drawing, the Windowframe designated generally at F. is of the usual rectangular conformation including the sill 10, the upstanding side pieces 11 and the top piece 12. This frame is provided with the usual grooves 13 and 14, to guide the sliding movement of the upper and lower sashes, designated respectively atS and S. As illustrated, each sash is provided with a central pane framing strip 15 to cooperate with the sash frame proper in accommodating two panes of glass, although the sashes may be of single pane type or have any desired arrangement of glass panes within them. For the sake of simplicity of illustration,'I' have omitted showing the usual sash cords and pulleys and weights, but it will be understood that these may be employed if desired, and arranged in the usual manner.

Before describing the manner in which the sashes may be soundprcofed and waterproofed and rendered substantially'vibrationless by the use of stripping and other instrumentalities, I shall describe the silencing attachment which is fixed within the'upper end of the window frame and serves to exclude sound entering above the upper sashwhen the latter is partially lowered, as shown in Fig. 4. The sheet material which is used for this purpose, is illustrated on an enlarged scale in Fig. 4 and may be of a known character, preferably consisting of pressed or molded fibrous material having a plurality of relatively deep bores or pockets 16, extending part way through'the material and opening at one face thereof. Any suitable arrangement of these bores may be utilized. They are preferably arranged fairly close together and may be disposed in rows or staggered to suit the requirements of the trade.

In forming the box-like structure, a plate 1'1- of the silencing-material, is secured as by screws or nails 18 to the top 12' of the window frame interiorly of the sashes. A pair of side plates 19 of thesame material are secured to the sides of the window frame, extending from the top plate 17 'to a point somewhat below the bottom of the two apron forming pieces 20 and 21. Gne end 20a. of the member 20 and the corresponding end 21a'of the member 21, are of reduced thick ness to provide a lap joint as indicated in Fig. 2, whoh will permit the apron members to extend across window frames of-varying widths. The

upper edges of the members 21, 21 are attached as by screws 22 to the rear edge of the top plate 17. The side plates 19 may be cut away as indicated at 23 to accommodate the ends of the members 21, 21, which abut thesides of the window frame and may be secured as by screws 24 to the edges of the cut aways 23 in the side plates.

There is thus provided a generally construction having an open bottom, front and downwardly extending ends.

As illustrated, by the arrows in Fig. 4, when the top sash S is slightly lowered for purposes of ventilation, sound waves entering the room above the sash, will impinge upon the sound absorbing surfacesof the members 17, 20, 21, or 19 as the case may be and will in large measure be absorbed. Thus sound waves which are not entirely absorbed, may be to some extent, reflected back again out of the window as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3 and the wave fronts will in any event, become somewhat broken and" shattered by the presence of the pockets 16 in the, surfaces of the sound absorbin members.

While the silencing attachment as thus far described, is applicable to any standard sliding sash window and capable of use either at the top or bottom of the window or both, I prefer touse it only at the top. since sufficient ventilation may ordinarily be obtained byopeningjthe upper'sash and since the relatively short, dependent apron 20, 21 together with the side plates 19, may be conveniently concealed by the use of ordinary window draperies. In fact by making the apron section in one piece and suitably decorating the surface thereof which faces the room it may serve as a cornice, the curtain supporting fixtures in such an event being mounted within the lower end ofthe box. Y 1

I prefer as suggested above to use the sound excluding attachment above described in conjunction with a specially 'mounted sliding sash construction calculated to prevent rattling of the sashes and prevent the entry of sound around or between the sashes, particularly when the upper one has been partially lowered. a

Withthis in'view, both the upper and lower sashes slide between strips of felt orrubber or other sound excludingand preferably weather and water proofing material.

As illustrated, the parting strips 25 which divided the sash grooves 13 and 1%, have secured to their inner faces, strips 26"of felt, rubber or equivalent material. Secured to the window frame, exteriorly of the sashes; are strips 27 of generally similar material, while strips 28 of like construction are arranged interiorly of the sashes. These strips are tight enough to prevent rattling of the sashes and also to prevent the passage of sound around the sashes.

Inasmuch as the lowering ofthe upper sash to the position of Fig. 1, would normally'provide a substantially free passage forsound-between the lower rail of the pper sash and the upper rail of the lower sash, I prefer to use a special mullion strip29, hingedly connected asat .30 to the top rail of the lower sash and having'its free edge lying against the upper sash and grooved asat 31 to accommodate the. framing strip 15.

box like an open A suitable handle, such as 32, is provided in order to permit the mullion strip 29 to be conveniently swung out of the path of the upper sash frame when the position of the sashes is to be reversed for cleaning purposes; The strip 29 is preferably made of sound proofing material. I

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate to lie against the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edges of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material.

2. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate for attachment to the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edge of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material having slight sound reflecting qualities.

3. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate to lie against the undersurface of the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edge of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material and having pockets therein tending to shatter otherwise unabsorbed sound waves.

4. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate for attachment to the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edge of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material having slight sound reflecting qualities and having pockets therein tending to shatter otherwise unabsorbed sound waves.

5. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate for attachment to the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edge of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material, the apron portion being relatively short and including a pair of sections having a lap joint.

6. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate for attachment to the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edge of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material, the apron portion being relatively short and substantially rigid in construction to prevent vibration.

'7. In a silencing apparatus of the class described, an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure adapted to be secured to a window frame interiorly of the sashes, said structure including a plate for attachment to the top of the window frame, an apron pendant from the innermost edge of said plate and a pair of side pieces lying against the side of the window frame and extending substantially from the top thereof to a point below the apron, all of said box forming pieces being of sound absorbing material, the apron portion being longitudinally extensible to accommodate various widths of windows, and being relatively short, whereby it may be conveniently concealed by window draperies.

8. In a sound proof window construction, a framed window opening and sliding sashes therein, and an open-bottomed, open-front, box-like structure of sound absorbing material arranged adjacent one end of the window opening with its inner side substantially flush with the opening and strips of sound absorbent material arranged at the inner and outer edges of the sashes and substantially preventing vibration thereof, a sound proofing mullion strip movably mounted on the upper rail of the lower sash and adapted when in operative position, to have its edge abut the glass pane of the upper sash.

WALTER D. BINGER. 

